FERGUS ― An ecological AI data centre could one day find a home in North Fergus.
A Waterloo-based tech company, SPUR Innovation, confirmed they are evaluating a phased redevelopment of the former copper tubing manufacturing facility at 865 Gartshore St. in Fergus into a "sovereign Canadian AI compute facility and Innovation Centre."
A now-deleted page on the company's website described the Gartshore project as an "ecological AI data centre, with a vertical farm growing from its waste heat on a "25-acre industrial campus on the Grand River."
Purchased in 2005, In an emailed statement, CEO Sharif Virani said the Gartshore property has remained part of the company's long-term property portfolio ever since.
"Consistent with our broader approach, we're interested in thoughtfully repurposing existing industrial assets where practical, rather than assuming new greenfield development is the only path forward," said Virani. "We believe redeveloping existing industrial properties can help minimize environmental impact while making productive use of existing infrastructure.
Our broader objective is not simply to develop AI infrastructure, but to create an ecosystem that brings together AI compute, founders, researchers, operators and industry partners to help Canadian companies build, commercialize and scale AI technologies on Canadian infrastructure."
As for a timeline, Virani said the project remains at an "early evaluation stage."
The company's current focus is on the development of AI compute infrastructure at the SPUR Campus in Kitchener as part of the redevelopment of the formerly vacant BlackBerry Campus, which Virani said reflects the company's broader approach to AI infrastructure.
Should the Fergus project "ever move forward," Virani said they would work through any applicable municipal planning, environmental and regulatory processes and participate in any public consultation processes.
AI data centres are not currently included in the Township of Centre Wellington or County of Wellington's zoning bylaws or official plans.
"As part of our early evaluation process, we've begun mapping the stakeholder groups we believe should be engaged if a project were ever to move forward," said Virani. "We think community engagement is most valuable when it begins before decisions have been finalized, allowing local perspectives to help inform the process from the outset."
A privately-funded venture, Virani said SPUR leads the development of its projects and while they do work with "strategic partners across the AI ecosystem," their approach doesn't depend on securing outside investment before moving forward.
"We believe successful AI infrastructure requires collaboration across industry, academia and government, so partnerships remain an important part of our model," said Virani. "However, those partnerships complement our work rather than define our ability to pursue it."
Asked about the proposed facility's water use, Virani said they don't have a finalized estimate as detailed engineering hasn't been completed for the project.
"That said, minimizing environmental impact is one of the principles guiding our evaluation," said Virani. "Our team is assessing a range of technologies and design approaches that can reduce water consumption, improve energy efficiency and make better use of existing infrastructure."
Speaking to the company's model, Virani said SPUR believes Canada has an opportunity to develop its own AI model, which prioritizes the thoughtful redevelopment of existing industrial assets while ensuring more of the economic value created by AI remains in the country.
"By combining compute, commercialization support and strategic partnerships, our goal is to help more companies grow, remain anchored in Canada and contribute to long-term economic prosperity," said Virani.
"Ultimately, we believe Canada has an opportunity to demonstrate that AI infrastructure can be environmentally responsible, economically sustainable and deeply connected to the communities it serves."
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
Isabel Buckmaster, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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